By chance I am keeping a gratitude journal —
and the last two entries are about objects I LOVE —
and this weekend the Cherished Blogfest 2015is happening!
So will share with that in mind.

I cherish color! I give thanks for color!
Deep brilliant amazing rich earthy gem-like musky shimmering primary!
Deep pure colors at full force!
Look at how they blend!
What great painting goddess thought of THAT!?!

But color is not an object.

However, bottles of ink are objects!

Brilliantly colored inks from Germany and the USA are changing the way I create.
Colorful waterproof line-work,
ink washed onto the lines, all sepia and greys and greens and blues.
I want to watch the colors run into each other.
Artists have strange habits — I splash it around just to see how it mixes!

Sometimes I will do this even if I know how it mixes.

I now have red ink and can’t wait to try it out ever since I sawRueven Dattner do his wonderful urban landscapes in red and yellow ink!

The playfulness and inventiveness of Noodler’s and Super5’s names are delightful:
Heart of Darkness (inky smokey no light penetrates this killer ink),
Lexington Grey (like the aircraft carrier, black with white and no hint of blue or red),
Delhi (the color of turmeric), Australia (the color of the red earth).

De Atramentis may lose business if they don’t get busy picking better names!
How does “Document Turquoise” entice me to buy when I can buy
Black Cherry, Apache Sunset, Vampire Red, Blue Ghost or Ancient Copper?

My mouth hangs open in awe! It’d be a sad life indeed without color, and wouldn’t it be fun to be a color-namer. Peach Pickin’s and Apple Dumplings come to mind from fall pickings at my Uncle’s fruit farm.

I love the way you show me your freedom with experimentation and boundaries because I gain (a little) willingness to loosen my ‘grip’ while trying to learn.

Aww thank you. I gotta loosen up at warp speed ‘cuz I might not have 30 years left 😀. You are probably the only one who noticed & I appreciate it. I had an ‘ah, f#%k it’ day a couple weeks ago because I didn’t feel like I understood shading in the tangles. That day I got pissed, I shaded and I posted. Now I no longer care if it’s right or wrong; I just do it. One hurdle conquered, thanks in large part to your mentoring.

I think we have a cycle going here Kate. You’re using what you cherish to create things (artwork) to be cherished. But you do it so well, I m not going to worry about it. Thanks for participating in the blogfest., You have helped make it a success.